Pak security team to visit India soon

LAHORE - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will send a four-member delegation to India last week to assess security and arrangements for the upcoming ODI series, and it will include a representative from the ministry of foreign affairs, it has been learnt.

The delegation will include the PCB manager international cricket, Usman Wahla, the director of security and vigilance, Ehsan Sadiq and the national team security manager, Colonel Wasim Ahmed and the fourth members will be from ministry of foreign affairs, a source revealed.

The PCB had decided to send the delegation ahead of the tour to not only inspect the hotel and ground arrangements for the Pakistan team but also the security protocol, which will be kept in place for the visiting players.

"The delegation will be looking at the security arrangements with the hosts to ensure better coordination during the tour," the source added. He said the delegation will visit match venues in New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai.

The visa applications for the delegation had already been sent to the Indian High Commission for processing and approval, the source added.

"The ministry has sent the name of its representative to the board which has also informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the names of its delegation and it is awaiting a response from the Indian board," the source stated.

The Pakistan team is due to reach India on December 22 to began its short tour of two T20 matches and three One-day Internationals, which will mark the first bilateral series between the two countries after five years.

Although the Pakistan Cricket Board has said that it has full confidence in the security that will be provided to its team in India, threats from some sections to disrupt the tour have prompted the board to send a delegation to coordinate arrangements with the hosts.